Outdoor Plant Production (Crops) Course Online

Why Study this Crops Outdoor Plant Production Course?

Do you want to grow and produce plants that grow outdoors? Want to learn the different ways to grow crops outdoors? Then, this Outdoor Plant Production (Crops) course online will help you!

If you want to start or improve growing and producing various types of plants, this course is the one you have been searching for! This online crops outdoor plant production course will give you the skills and fundamentals needed such as the different cropping systems, the way to achieve organic certification and produce organic crops, the needed nutrition in plants and soils, the way to produce nursery stock, cut flower, vegetables, tree fruit, soft fruits, and other outdoor crops commercially, and the risks that may occur during outdoor crop production.

CROP GROWING COURSE ONLINE – NUTS, FRUITS, BERRIES, HERBS, VEGETABLES & CUT FLOWERS

LEARN TO GROW CROPS SUCCESSFULLY OUTDOORS

Learn about site & crop selection, soil management, cut flowers, vegetables, berries, nuts, herbs, tree fruits, other crops, managing a market garden and more.  This course provides a thorough knowledge framework in outdoor production of outdoor plants and is a solid foundation for  market gardening, orchards, cut flower production or broad acre cropping.

• Gain skills and knowledge necessary to grow and sell many different crops.
• Study in your time and at your own pace.
• 100 hours self paced study.
• Friendly, expert tutors.

Course Aims

• Explain different cropping systems and their appropriate application for the production of different types of crops.
• Evaluate and explain organic plant production, and the requirements in at least two different countries, to achieve organic certification.
• Explain the function of soils and plant nutrition in outdoor cropping systems.
• Describe the commercial production of a range of nursery stock.
• Describe the commercial production of a range of tree fruit crops.
• Explain techniques used to produce a range of soft fruits.
• Explain techniques used to grow a range of vegetables.
• Explain the commercial production of outdoor-grown cut flowers.
• Describe the commercial production of herbs, nuts and other miscellaneous crops.
• Identify the risks that may occur in outdoor crop production.

Course Outline

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Crop Production Systems
   • Scope and nature of Crop Production
   • Purpose for Growing –Subsistence crops, Marketable Crops
   • Finding reliable resource information
   • Types of Cropping –row crops, broad acre, hydroponics, container crops, etc
   • Monoculture vs Polyculture
   • Citrus
   • Berry Fruits
   • Nuts
   • Vines
   • Pome Fruits
   • Stone Fruits
   • Vegetables
   • Cut Flowers
   • Nursery Crops
   • Fibres
   • Oils Seeds
   • Other Crops
   • Review of six different crops
2. Organic Crop Production
   • What is organic growing
   • Organic certification
   • Organic Growing Techniques
   • Composting
   • Factors that affect Nitrogen release from organic sources
   • Mycorrhizae
   • Versicular – Arbuscular mycorrhizae
   • Non mycorrhizal plants
   • Crop rotation
   • Using Legumes for soil improvement –nitrogen fixation
   • Rhizobium bacteria
   • Soils and Nutrition
   • Review of six different crops
3. Soil and Nutrition
   • Understanding what is in soil-solid particles, air, water
   • Soil structure –types of particles (gravel, sand, silt, colloids)
   • Peds
   • Water and Air
   • Soil Temperature
   • Soil Life –earthworms, bacteria, mycorrhizae
   • Improving soils
   • Sampling soils for testing
   • Naming a soil type
   • Soil problems
   • Loss of soil fertility –causes, implications, control
   • Erosion–causes, implications, control
   • Salinity –causes, implications, control
   • Soil compaction –causes, implications, control
   • Soil acidification –causes, implications, control
   • Build up of dangerous chemicals –causes, implications, control
   • Increasing organic matter
   • Phytotoxicity
   • Adding non organic materials to soil –lime, sulphur, gypsum, etc
   • Cation exchange capacity
   • Ph –acidity and alkalinity
   • Nutrient availability
   • Conductivity
   • Salinity
   • Plant Nutrition
   • Choosing a fertiliser
   • Total salts
   • Diagnosis of nutrient problems
   • Natural Fertilisers
   • Manures
   • Blood and bone
   • Rock dusts
   • Seaweed
   • Review of six different crops
4. Nursery Stock Production
   • Container or Field Growing
   • The Process -Propagation, Transplanting, Growing on, Marketing
   • Growing in containers
   • In ground nursery production
   • Propagation in the nursery –seed, cuttings
   • Potting up plants
   • Potting machines
   • Choosing what to grow and how to grow.
   • Nursery Standards
   • Cost Efficiencies
   • Quality control
   • Starting a production nursery
   • Revamping an existing nursery
   • Scope and nature of different plant products
   • Review of six different crops
5. Tree Fruit Production
   • Scope of tree fruits –deciduous and evergreen
   • Site selection for an orchard or plantation
   • Rootstocks
   • Field preparation
   • Production and training systems
   • Understanding Pollination
   • Understanding chilling requirements
   • Grading the harvest
   • Mechanised grading
   • Grading in different countries
   • Post harvest handling equipment
   • Review of six different crops
6. Soft Fruits Production
   • Scope –berries, bush and vines.
   • Growing grapes
   • Selecting a site for grapes
   • Climatic effects on grapes
   • Harvesting and marketing grape production
   • Strawberry Production
   • Where to plant strawberries
   • Grading soft fruits
   • Strawberry growing
   • Raspberries
   • Chinese Gooseberries (Kiwi Fruit)
   • Cape Gooseberry
   • Gooseberry
   • Mulberry
   • Blueberry
   • Elderberry
   • Currants
   • Cranberry
   • Bramble berries
   • Review of six different crops
7. Vegetable Production
   • Groupings of vegetables –brassicas, root and bulb crops, leaf and stem crops, cucurbits, fruit crops, etc
   • Factors affecting production
   • Planting methods –direct seeding, seedlings, crowns, tubers, offsets, etc
   • Seed sources –hybrid seed, collecting seed, etc
   • Storing seed
   • Sowing seed outdoors
   • Sowing seed under cover
   • Transplanting seedlings
   • Buying seedlings
   • Choosing what to grow
   • Review and comparison of around 40 different types of vegetables
   • Mushroom production
   • Harvesting and grading vegetables
   • Review of six different crops
8. Cut Flower Production
   • Scope of cut flower production
   • Harvesting and Storage
   • Grading
   • Cut flower standards
   • Alstroemeria
   • Antirrhinum
   • Amaryllis
   • Anigozanthus
   • Aster
   • Carnation
   • Chrysanthemum
   • Dahlia
   • Freesia
   • Gerbera
   • Gladiolus
   • Iris
   • Narcissus
   • Orchids
   • Roses
   • Stocks
   • Review of six different crops
9. Herbs, Nuts and Miscellaneous Crops
   • Growing Herbs
   • Propagating herbs
   • Review of 16 significant types of herbs
   • Harvesting herbs
   • Nut Production
   • Comparing eight significant nut crops
   • Walnut production
   • Chestnuts
   • Almonds
   • Peanuts
   • Macadamias
   • Pecan
   • Hazelnut
   • Filbert
   • Pistacio
   • Cashew
   • Review of six different crops
10. Crop Production Risk Assessment
    • Assessing the workplace –factors to consider
    • Consequences of an undesirable event
    • Keeping a work site safe
    • Duty of care –employer duties and employee duties
    • Manufacturer and other person duty of care
    • Protective clothing
    • Safety with tools and equipment
    • Safety with electricity
    • Tool maintenance
    • Harvest and storage risk
    • Review of six different crops

Enrol Now

• Experienced Tutor support
• Certificate sent to you
• Online study (Printed notes available)
• Self paced - no set timetable
• 12 months to complete course

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